Adventures in Job Hunting

Sometimes life has other plans for you, right now I'm experiencing that in trying to find a nursing job. But aren't there many nursing jobs out there? Well yes, there are, in fact, there is a prediction that there will be a nursing shortage in the near future as more nurses retire and the population gets older. However, with the downturn of the market nurses that would be retiring soon, are not, leaving fewer positions for new grad nurses. There are internships/residencies offered to new grad nurses, which are a great opportunity to get started in a new career. The only problem with these programs is that they are only offered 1 or 2 times a year and the application to hire process takes 5 months.

So where does that leave me? I chose to take time off from job hunting last summer to get married and go on a honeymoon. Since returning to the job hunt, the tone of the market has changed and many hospital systems require a nursing degree (preferably a BSN). I did not have a BSN, however, am continuing to work on my Masters in Nursing, and have a previous Bachelor's degree. However, the prospect of a MSN was not getting me far into the market, and I lack experience as a nurse, compounding the situation. But I was in store for some good news from the University of Portland, they were granting those students who were in my program and continuing on with the Masters, a BSN. So now I have two Bachelors degrees and will have a Masters in a year!  Since being able to put BSN on my resume and applications, I have found that I make it a little further through the application process, not being weeded out so quickly by the computer.

So, in the mean time, I am trying to remain positive, patient and persistent in the job hunt and hopefully soon everything will pay off!!

Welcome!

Welcome family and friends! Through inspiration from girlfriends and encouragement from my husband, I have decided to start a blog sharing our life adventures.Through this blog, I hope to share lots of things with you from new recipes (and probably failed recipes), updates on the current remodeling project and everything life has in store for us. With many of our friends and family spread out across the country, hopefully this will give you a little glimpse into our lives.

A brief update on what has been happening lately: 

• My partner-in-crime (Mark) and I just passed 8 months of being married, it is hard to believe how fast time has flown by!
• I am still looking/applying for nursing jobs, the market is tough right now, and I'm trying very hard to be patient, knowing the right one will come along. In the meantime, I only have one more year of grad school left until I receive my Masters' degree! 
• When we returned from our honeymoon in late August, Mark transitioned to a new group within the chassis engineering department at Daimler Trucks. The promotion to Senior Engineer brought new challenges, which he enjoys and has taken to riding his bike to work when the weather is nice!
• We have started remodeling the downstairs of our house. It is mostly the kitchen which will undergo the most extensive transformation, however, the entire downstairs is getting new coats of paint and flooring. I'll share lots of before and after pictures and update you on the progress. Since we are doing most of the work ourselves, it is taking a bit longer than expected, but will definitely be worth the wait! 

I'll try to update as often as I can and look forward to sharing life with you!